Classroom
The air felt heavier again.
Not like before the party.
Different.
More focused.
Andrea sat at her desk, tapping her pen lightly against her notebook. The teacher was explaining something, but her mind wasn't there.
It kept drifting.
Matthew.
Samuel.
Teresa's words.
Stop chasing people who are unsure about you.
Andrea clenched her jaw slightly.
I'm not chasing anyone.
A chair scraped beside her.
Samuel dropped into the seat next to her like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Andrea didn't look at him.
"You're distracting," she muttered.
Samuel leaned back slightly.
"You've been staring at the same page for ten minutes."
Andrea sighed.
"Maybe I like the page."
Samuel smirked.
"Yeah. You look very emotionally connected to it."
Andrea shot him a look.
"Why are you sitting here?"
Samuel shrugged.
"Better view."
Andrea frowned.
"Of what?"
Samuel didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at her.
Directly.
Andrea felt her stomach tighten slightly.
"Stop staring," she said.
"You're nervous," Samuel replied.
"I'm annoyed."
"Same thing."
Andrea rolled her eyes and looked away.
"Go sit somewhere else."
Samuel leaned forward slightly.
"No."
Andrea clenched her pen tighter.
"Why are you like this?"
Samuel tilted his head.
"You asked me that before."
Andrea turned back to him.
"Yeah, and you never answered."
Samuel's expression changed slightly.
Less playful.
More… serious.
Andrea noticed immediately.
"Why are you always pushing people?" she asked.
Samuel raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you always exploding?"
Andrea scoffed.
"Because people are annoying."
Samuel shook his head.
"No."
Andrea frowned.
"What do you mean 'no'?"
Samuel leaned closer.
"You don't get this angry for no reason."
Andrea's chest tightened.
"You don't know anything about me."
Samuel held her gaze.
"Then tell me."
Andrea laughed coldly.
"You think I'm just going to sit here and explain my life to you?"
Samuel shrugged.
"Would be a start."
Andrea stood up suddenly.
"I'm not doing this."
Samuel didn't move.
"Why not?"
Andrea looked down at him.
"Because you'll just use it against me."
Samuel's jaw tightened slightly.
"I don't do that."
Andrea laughed.
"You literally spread rumors about me."
Samuel didn't respond immediately.
Andrea noticed.
For a second, he looked… annoyed.
Not at her.
At himself.
Then he said quietly,
"Yeah."
Andrea blinked.
Again.
"That was different."
Andrea crossed her arms.
"How?"
Samuel leaned back in his chair.
"I didn't know you."
Andrea frowned.
"And now you do?"
Samuel looked at her again.
Closer.
More serious than she had ever seen him.
"No," he said.
"But I want to."
That caught her off guard.
Andrea didn't respond.
She couldn't.
The teacher's voice cut through the moment.
"Is there a problem back there?"
Andrea immediately sat down.
"No."
Samuel leaned back again like nothing had happened.
But Andrea's heart was beating faster.
After School
Andrea walked out of the building quickly.
She needed air.
Space.
Distance.
Her thoughts were too loud again.
Footsteps followed behind her.
She didn't have to turn.
"Seriously?" she said. "Do you ever walk alone?"
Samuel caught up beside her.
"You walk fast."
Andrea kept moving.
"You talk too much."
Samuel smirked slightly.
"You listen anyway."
Andrea stopped walking suddenly.
Samuel stopped too.
She turned to face him.
"What do you want from me?"
Samuel didn't hesitate this time.
"Nothing."
Andrea stared at him.
"That's a lie."
Samuel shrugged.
"Maybe."
Andrea crossed her arms again.
"Then what?"
Samuel looked at her for a moment.
Like he was actually thinking about the answer.
Then he said,
"I just don't think you're what people say you are."
Andrea blinked.
"What does that even mean?"
Samuel stepped a little closer.
"It means…"
He hesitated.
Andrea noticed.
"…you act like you don't care about anything," he continued, "but you clearly do."
Andrea's chest tightened again.
"That's not a crime."
"I didn't say it was."
Andrea looked away.
"You're overanalyzing."
Samuel shook his head.
"No. I'm paying attention."
Andrea laughed quietly.
"Why?"
Samuel didn't answer immediately.
Then he said something softer.
"Because no one else is."
That hit harder than anything he said before.
Andrea swallowed.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Andrea shook her head slightly.
"You're weird."
Samuel smirked.
"You've said that."
Andrea took a step back.
"I'm going home."
Samuel nodded.
"Okay."
Andrea turned and started walking again.
But after a few steps—
"Paisley."
She stopped.
But didn't turn around.
Samuel's voice came from behind her.
"You don't have to fight everything."
Andrea stood still for a second.
Then she said quietly,
"Yeah."
And walked away.
But this time—
She didn't feel angry.
She felt something else.
And she didn't know what to do with it.